Kyiv:
Synagogues and Babi Yar
In Kyiv (Kiev) there are currently two synagogues: The Central Synagogue, which has been restored to the community after having been used as a puppet theater in Soviet times, and the Podil (Podol) Synagogue. On the outskirts of the city is the infamous killing field of Babi Yar, where Nazi forces massacred over 33,000 Jews in the last days of September, 1941.
The Central synagogue
The Podil synagogue
I was unable to get a good photo of the outside, but this external link offers a view of what this beautiful building looks like. We were able to go inside just before services were to start on a Friday evening, and were shown around by a man in his nineties, who was eager to show off his synagogue.
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Babi Yar
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This is the monument put up by the Soviet government, and in the background of the photo at left is the TV tower that was built right on top of a Jewish cemetery.
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This is a very new memorial, viewed from both front and back, to the children killed at Babi Yar.
Farther into the park at Babi Yar, near the edge of the forest where the massacre actually took place, is a monument specifically dedicated to the memories of the Jews who were killed here. By the time we found it, it was too dark to photograph. Here is an off-site photo.
It is worth reading Yevgeny Yevtushenko's poem, "Babi Yar." (These last two links are courtesy of Wikipedia.)
